Coreopsis plant named &#39;Zesty Zinger&#39;

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct threadleaf  coreopsis  plant,  Coreopsis verticillata  plant named ‘Zesty Zinger’, with linear, foliage of bright-green, numerous flowers with ray petals with ray petals dark magenta lightening to ivory tips, blooming over a prolonged season from mid-summer until early fall. The new plant is useful as a specimen landscape plant, mass planting, container plant and cut flower.

Botanical designation: Coreopsis verticillata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Zesty Zinger’.

BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct threadleafcoreopsis herein also referred to as Coreopsis ‘Zesty Zinger’, by thecultivar name ‘Zesty Zinger’, or as the new plant. The new plant wasselected by Hans Hansen in June of 2011 from an open pollination of anisolated block of plants all derived from the unreleased proprietaryseedling with breeder code the K9-01-04 which is an open pollinatedseedling from ‘Route 66’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,609 harvested on Oct.19, 2010 at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Afterpassing the initial evaluation the single seedling selected from thisgroup of seedlings was initially given the breeder code HK10-02-10. Itwas then isolated and compared in subsequent years to other coreopsisand subsequently found to be different from all cultivars known to thediscoverers.

Asexual propagation at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA bycuttings has shown ‘Zesty Zinger’ to be stable and reproduce true totype in successive generations.

No plants of Coreopsis ‘Zesty Zinger’ have been sold, by this or anyname, in this country or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing ofthis application, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been madeprior to the filing of this application with the exception of that whichmay have been disclosed within one year of the filing date of thisapplication and was either derived directly or indirectly from theinventors.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Coreopsis ‘Zesty Zinger’ has not been observed in all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary slightly with changesin environments such as light intensity, fertility, water availability,etc. without, however any variation in genotype.

Coreopsis ‘Zesty Zinger’ is distinct from all cultivars known to theinventors in the following traits:

1. Narrow foliage with compact height and dense habit.

2. Heavy flowering with ray petals dark magenta lightening to ivorytips.

3. Flowers produced tightly and densely above the thin, bright-greenfoliage.

4. Long flowering period beginning with concentration in early-summerand continuing until early fall.

Coreopsis ‘Zesty Zinger’ is most similar to ‘Route 66’ U.S. Plant Pat.No. 20,609, ‘Autumn Blush’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,184, and ‘Red Shift’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,412. ‘Red Shift’ produces ray flower petals thathave a narrower red eye, the distal petal portion more cream and thefoliage is broader than the new plant. Both ‘Route 66’ and ‘AutumnBlush’ have ray flower petals with narrower red eye and the distal petalportion is more creamy-yellow colored than the ivory distal portion of‘Zesty Zinger’. No plants of the female parent were saved, so no matureplant comparison could be made.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The color drawings illustrate the overall characteristics of Coreopsis‘Zesty Zinger’ as a three-year-old plant. The colors are as true asreasonably possible given the technology available. The color values mayvary slightly depending on light intensity and quality.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of several flowers of the new plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description is based on a two-year-old plant growing in afull-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich., USA. Environmental conditionsfor the growing season daytime temperatures range between 12 and 30° C.,and night temperatures range between 6 and 19° C. Except for ordinarydictionary color usage, color references are according to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 edition.

-   Parentage: Female or seed parent K9-01-04 (not patented) which is a    selfed selection of ‘’Route 66’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,609; male or    pollen parent unknown;-   Asexual propagation: Cuttings, about 10 to 14 days to initiate    roots; time to finish as # 1 field grown size about 9 months;-   Plant habit: Dense axillary branches; rounded, herbaceous perennial    mound; about 45 cm wide and about 30 cm tall;-   Leaves: Linear, opposite, sessile, glabrous abaxial and adaxial;    margins entire; acute apex; base attenuate; average about 2.5 cm    long and 1.8 mm wide;-   Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS    144A; mature leaves adaxial and abaxial between RHS 137A and RHS    138A;-   Veins: Pinnate; only abaxial midvein obvious;-   Abaxial midveins color: Same as surrounding leaf;-   Flower: Composite consisting of ray and disk florets; on terminal    branches; about 4.3 cm diameter, about 1.3 cm tall from lower    involucral bracts to top of disk florets; capitulum head about 6.0    mm across and about 5.0 mm tall; attitude outwardly to slightly    upwardly;-   Flower fragrance: None detected;-   Phyllary: Five sepals; linear, rounded apex, truncate base; glabrous    abaxial and adaxial; about 4.5 mm long and 1.0 mm wide at base;-   Phyllary color: Between RHS 137A and RHS 138A on both abaxial and    adaxial;-   Flowering period: Early summer until early fall, for about 12 weeks;    producing over 50 flowers per stem and over 350 flowers per plant;-   Flower longevity: 4 to 6 days;-   Flower buds: While petals still upright—about 5.0 mm wide and 10.0    mm tall;-   Flower bud color: Petal color nearest RHS 1A;-   Stem: Terete; heavily branched; glaucous, wiry, upright attitude,    strong; 3.0 mm wide at base and 26.0 cm long; about five to seven    nodes, average internode spacing about 4.3 cm;-   Stem color: Lower stem between RHS 199A and RHS 200A and upper stem    nearest RHS 137A;-   Branches: Branches extending slightly above main stems and covering    up earlier flowers;-   Pedicel: Terete; glaucous, thin, wiry, strong; to about 5.0 cm long    and about 0.7 mm diameter, average about 3.5 cm in long and about    0.7 mm diameter; attitude upright;-   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 137C;-   Ray florets: Typically eight per inflorescence; imperfect; sterile;-   Ligule: Usually 8 per flower head; oblong elongate, glabrous; apex    typically two-notched, margin entire; base narrowly attenuate to    form claw; opening nearly flat to form about 180° angle; parallel    veined; glabrous adaxial and adaxial; about 2.2 cm long and about    8.0 mm wide; basal corolla tube about 1.5 mm to 3.0 mm long and    about 0.8 mm diameter; lacking stamens and pistils;-   Ligule color: Adaxial apical one-third nearest RHS 155D, middle    one-third to claw more red than RHS 187A, darker than RHS 61A and    lighter than RHS N77A, basal claw nearest RHS 1B; abaxial apical one    their nearest RHS 155D, middle nearest RHS 161D with purple-red    tinting darker than RHS 61A, near base between RHS 163B and RHS 163C    with purple-red tinting darker than RHS 61A, basal claw nearest RHS    155D;-   Disk Florets: 30 to 38 per head; consisting of five tepals fused in    the base forming tube; perfect; actinomorphic; size about 4.0 mm    long by 1.2 mm wide distally;    -   -   Tepals.—Five; 4.0 mm long and 1 mm wide, fused in the basal            3.0 mm; acute apex; glabrous abaxial and adaxial.        -   Tepal color.—Adaxial base nearest RHS 14A, apex nearest RHS            187A; abaxial base nearest RHS 14A, middle and apex between            RHS 187B and RHS 187C.        -   Staminal tube.—Five connate stamens, about 2.0 mm long and            about 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 187A.        -   Anther.—About 1 mm long, nearest RHS 187A.        -   Pollen.—Not observed.        -   Style.—About 5.0 mm long, curled 360° in apical 1.5 mm;            color nearest RHS 13A.        -   Stigma.—Split in half and curling back as it matures; color            nearest RHS 17B.-   Seed: Linear with slight curve, with acute apex and truncate base;    glabrous abaxial and adaxial surfaces, margin slightly sulcate;    about 5.5 mm long, about 2.2 mm across;-   Seed color: Variable, nearest RHS 202A; Coreopsis verticillata    ‘Zesty Zinger’ is tolerant of winter temperatures as low as −20° C.    and summer temperatures as high as 40° C. Once established it is    also tolerant of dry summer conditions but does best with ample    moisture and good drainage. It is not known to be resistant of    diseases and pest that are common to other Coreopsis cultivars.

It is claimed:
 1. The new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant named‘Zesty Zinger’ as described and illustrated and useful as a specimenlandscape plant, mass planting or cut flower.